AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) CAO Sells $41,381.30 in Stock

Key Points

• AeroVironment’s chief accounting officer Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares for $41,381.30 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, reducing his direct ownership by 2.53% to 7,888 shares.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, with revenue rising 133.3% year over year to $641.62 million and EPS of $1.84, beating estimates of $1.47. Management issued fiscal 2027 EPS guidance of $3.02–$3.34.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $266.68 price target, while institutional investors own 86.38% of shares. However, some firms have lowered targets and cited elevated valuation and execution risks.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) CAO Brian Charles Shackley sold 205 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.86, for a total value of $41,381.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,592,271.68. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

AeroVironment Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AVAV traded up $3.38 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $192.81. 1,547,515 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,631,980. The company has a quick ratio of 3.59, a current ratio of 4.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $162.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $195.07. The firm has a market cap of $9.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -52.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.59 and a beta of 1.41. AeroVironment, Inc. has a one year low of $135.20 and a one year high of $417.86.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 29th. The aerospace company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.37. AeroVironment had a positive return on equity of 3.71% and a negative net margin of 9.00%.The company had revenue of $641.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.97 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 133.3% on a year-over-year basis. AeroVironment has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.020-3.340 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that AeroVironment, Inc. will post 3.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AeroVironment

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in AeroVironment during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $574,566,000. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 884,395 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $213,956,000 after acquiring an additional 71,903 shares in the last quarter. Heard Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of AeroVironment by 48.4% during the 4th quarter. Heard Capital LLC now owns 722,150 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $174,681,000 after acquiring an additional 235,685 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 17.2% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 504,270 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $143,692,000 after purchasing an additional 73,963 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Investment Management Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of AeroVironment by 18.8% in the first quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 490,426 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $89,772,000 after purchasing an additional 77,619 shares in the last quarter. 86.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on AVAV. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of AeroVironment in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on AeroVironment from $248.00 to $235.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Wolfe Research cut AeroVironment to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on AeroVironment from $280.00 to $240.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on AeroVironment from $315.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AeroVironment presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $266.68.

Trending Headlines about AeroVironment

Here are the key news stories impacting AeroVironment this week:

• Positive Sentiment: President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and critical components. The policy is intended to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains and could give U.S. manufacturers such as AeroVironment a competitive advantage, potentially increasing demand for domestic systems. Trump administration imposes sweeping tariffs on foreign drone imports
• Positive Sentiment: AVAV is participating in a wider rally among domestic drone and defense stocks, including Kratos, Red Cat and Ondas, as investors anticipate that tariff protection could shift business toward U.S.-based suppliers. AeroVironment, Ondas, and Kratos Rising as Trump Levies Tariffs on Drone Imports
• Positive Sentiment: Recent momentum has also been supported by strong defense demand, a reported $117.3 million Army contract and a new autonomous-systems partnership. These developments reinforce the view that AeroVironment could benefit from sustained military procurement. AVAV Outperforms Industry in the Past Month
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive, with Clear Street maintaining a Buy rating, but valuation models suggest the shares may be near fair value after substantial long-term gains. Investors may therefore require continued contract wins and execution to justify further appreciation. Clear Street Remains a Buy on AeroVironment
• Negative Sentiment: One updated valuation analysis lowered its implied fair value estimate from approximately $251.93 to $225.77 per share, citing execution risk, heavier investment needs and elevated valuation following sharply revised expectations. This could limit upside if tariff-related benefits take time to materialize. AeroVironment Stock Sees Fair Value Cut

AeroVironment Company Profile

AeroVironment, Inc NASDAQ: AVAV is a technology company specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), tactical missiles and precision loitering munitions, electric vehicle charging and scalable energy systems. Headquartered in Monrovia, California, the company develops solutions for defense, public safety and commercial markets. Their offerings include small UAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as advanced weapons systems designed to meet the needs of modern military operations.

The company's unmanned aerial systems portfolio features platforms such as the Raven, Puma and Switchblade series, which are deployed by the U.S.

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